Hennessy is the best-selling cognac in the world, and for many people it is the only cognac they know. But Hennessy is one house. Cognac is a whole region of France, and the other houses make bottles that are worth a try.
What makes it cognac
Cognac is brandy made from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France, distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged in French oak. The letters tell you the youngest brandy in the bottle: VS is at least two years old, VSOP at least four, and XO at least ten. We explain the letters in more detail in Hennessy VS vs VSOP.
Same age, another house
- Martell VS. Martell is the oldest of the big cognac houses, founded in 1715. Its VS is lighter and fruitier than Hennessy VS. Try it the same way you drink Hennessy.
- Meukow VS. The bottle with the panther. A smooth, lower-cost cognac that mixes well.
- Pierre Ferrand 1840. Made for cocktails, and stronger than most cognac. If you make a Sidecar or a cognac Old Fashioned, this is the bottle.
A step up
- Hennessy VSOP Privilege. The same house, older brandy. Rounder and smoother than VS, and good to sip.
- Remy Martin VSOP. Remy uses grapes only from the two best areas of Cognac, Grande and Petite Champagne. It is softer and more floral than Hennessy.
- D'Usse VSOP. Made at the Chateau de Cognac. A richer, spicier VSOP.
For mixing on a budget
If the cognac is going into a punch or with a lot of juice, an American brandy like E&J VSOP does the same job for much less. Save the cognac for drinks where you can taste it.
What we would buy
If you like Hennessy VS, buy a Martell VS next and compare them side by side. If you want to sip, go to a VSOP.
On our shelf right now
Online prices, read from our own inventory when this page was built.